I have a 2012 dodge avenger 2.4L and was thinking of putting a cold air intake cause 1) I travel 110 miles to and from for school and I heard it help with mpg 2) the horsepower and tourqe is fine for me but you can never have enough right? So my question is should I buy the mopar air intake for 400$ or a cheap one my chef said I can get on eBay for 50$
A cold air inlet will not increase MPG. It increases HP at full throttle only. The increase in power is the result of burning more fuel, not an increase in efficiency, or reduction of restriction. At all other power settings there is another restriction that is controlled by your right foot.
A bloodless air inlet is not going to develop MPG. It increases HP at full throttle simplest. The increase in energy is the effects of burning further gasoline, no longer an increase in effectivity, or discount of hinder. At all different vigour settings there is one other limit that is controlled via your right foot.
Keep the cold air intake that came on the car. You would literally never feel any difference with either of those intakes. There is exactly zero difference in power or torque except at full throttle, and then there is never more than a 5% increase at just above normal peak power point. If you are operating the engine under that condition more than a second or two a month something is wrong with the way you drive. Wednesday a friend drove his Scion through water that was deeper than he thought. It had a KN intake and the engine inhaled water that hydrolocked it. He made it to his destination before it threw a rod - he had to remove the plugs and intake manifold on a remote road to get it running that much. Affordable aftermarket intakes always *reduce* mpg because they eliminate the intake preheat that warms the engine up quickly in winter. In the days of carburetors reduced restriction improved fuel economy by reducing the choke effect of filter restriction but fuel injected engines don't care at all about filter restriction.
